Eligible households will receive letters for a one-off payment from this month.
Eligible households will receive letters confirming the payment in November and early December (Image: Getty)
State pensioners across the UK are being sent letters for a one-off £110 payment in November and December to help with cost of living pressures, with more money available from local councils in other parts of the country.
The payment comes as part of the government’s Household Support Fund which provides local councils across England with a share of a funding pot worth £742 million. The fund helps vulnerable homes pay for essential living costs over the cold winter months, including energy bills, food and other essentials. The funding is allocated from now until March 31, 2026, and local councils independently decide how to share the cash, so depending on where you live, there may be different criteria to qualify for the support. In the East Midlands, Derbyshire County Council is providing one-off payments of £110 to eligible state pensioners on a low income and people receiving home care.
The payment will be issued in the form of a Post Office voucher and letters will be sent out to those who qualify for the payment throughout November and early December.
The council said pensioners who are entitled to means-tested Council Tax support with their Council Tax bill will be eligible for the vouchers, as will adults receiving home care support who are on a low income.
Derbyshire County Council explains: “Eligible households will receive a letter in November 2025 with a one-off £110 Post Office voucher to help with cost of living pressures. The vouchers will be available for:
- pensioners (aged over 66) who are entitled to means-tested council tax support with their council tax bill
- adults who are receiving home care support from us and are on a low income – home care support is care that people receive in their own homes or in their local community to help them to stay safe and independent
“Letters will be sent out throughout November and early December. If you think you’re eligible and have not received a letter, or have a question about your voucher, please contact the Household Support Fund team telephone: 01629 535070.”
As Household Support Fund cash is distributed independently by local councils in England, the cost of living support that’s available varies by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs across the country.
Payments may also be issued at different times depending on where you live, so it’s possible for some to receive the support in time for Christmas, while others may have a longer wait.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says there may also be differences in who the money is given to and if or how you need to apply for the support, as some local councils opt to share the money out through local charities and community groups, while some limit household applications to one per year.
For example, households in Staffordshire can get a one off £300 utility payment made direct to their utility provider via the scheme, while residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total.
North Yorkshire Council is issuing £190 cost of living payments to eligible households from October 8 to spend across nine different supermarkets, including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and M&S.
In West Yorkshire, Leeds City Council is issuing payments of up to £120 to eligible low income households in Leeds before Sunday, November 30, and Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs, while other households can qualify for a £100 payment to go towards energy bills.
Elsewhere, households in Nottingham can get energy vouchers worth £98 and supermarket vouchers worth £75, amounting to £173 worth of support, and residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get £130.
